Days of our Lives Recap for Wednesday, November 13, 2024: Johnny confides in EJ 

In Horton Town Square, EJ threatened Gabi after she slapped him. When she raised her hand for another slap, he grabbed her arm and hissed, “Don’t you dare.” Just then, JJ rushed up and commanded EJ to let Gabi go. Gabi was surprised to see JJ and asked what he was doing there. He simply replied that he was there to safeguard Gabi from EJ.

EJ snarled at JJ, saying the situation was none of his business. JJ firmly responded that EJ had made it his business. He again ordered EJ to release Gabi. EJ eventually complied, but not before bringing up his past with Abigail, which raised JJ’s ire even more. EJ backed off and apologized, as he knew how much the revelation about Cat had hurt Abigail’s family.

A still-angered JJ turned to Gabi and revealed that he had returned to Salem to ensure that Cat paid for what she had done. EJ told JJ the trip had been wasted because Cat was free. JJ grew more enraged at EJ's continued goading and punched EJ, who threatened to have JJ locked up for assault. Gabi stepped between the hostile men and warned EJ that she would say he started the fight. EJ angrily proclaimed that neither Gabi nor JJ were worth the trouble and stormed off.

JJ fumed to Gabi about EJ letting Cat go free. Gabi snarked that EJ only liked to put innocent people in prison. JJ expressed regret for Gabi’s recent ordeal. Gabi blamed EJ for both her prison stint and for the end of her marriage.

Later, Gabi returned with ice for JJ’s hand. They sat at a table, and Gabi filled JJ in on Stefan's departure. He said he was sorry for her, and Gabi wondered if his kindness meant that he had forgiven her. JJ admitted that he’d had difficulty with what Gabi had done to Julie regarding Julie’s pacemaker. Gabi insisted that she regretted her actions and was working on becoming a better person.

Gabi then asked JJ if he could give her a chance to prove it. He said he could and believed Gabi had changed for the better. Gabi thanked him for saving her earlier, and he reminded her that he owed her since she had once saved him when he had been suicidal. JJ thanked her for saving his life and affirmed that he would always be grateful for her.

Gabi seemed touched by his words. JJ said he had to find out what had happened with Cat. Gabi asked him to keep her updated and told him to look after his hand. They both agreed how nice it had been to see each other and exchanged warm goodbyes. With a wistful smile, Gabi watched JJ go.

At Rafe’s place, Jada gushed over the phone about her engagement to her sister Talia. She ended the call when Rafe arrived. As she beamed at the ring, he reminded her he couldn’t take credit because he hadn’t actually picked it out. Jada thought the ring’s status as a family heirloom made it all the more special, and she handed Rafe a gift she had gotten him.

Rafe smiled when he realized Jada had returned his commissioner badge to him. He wondered if Jada would miss having the power. Jada assured him that while he was the boss at the office, she would remain the boss at home. She ordered him to kiss her, and he gladly complied.

At the Brady Pub, Paulina settled down for a meal to celebrate the “clean bill of health” she had gotten from her doctor. Roman congratulated her on the good news as Stephanie entered. When Stephanie greeted Roman, Paulina piped in and called Stephanie, “My beautiful daughter Chanel.” Roman shot Stephanie a quizzical look. Paulina and Stephanie shared a smile.

Roman caught on that Paulina had been chiding Stephanie about Johnny mistaking her for Chanel after Paulina referenced her “idiot son-in-law.” Roman lightly reminded Paulina that he was the grandfather of the “idiot” and defended Johnny. Paulina conceded that Johnny’s reaction had been more akin to his "jackass" father than to his usual “sweetie-pie” self. Stephanie wanted to accept her share of the blame for the entire incident, as she believed it had started with her and Alex’s unprofessional behavior. Paulina assured Stephanie she held no ill will against her, but she wanted details on Stephanie’s latest rendezvous with “Mr. Abtastic.”

Roman quickly excused himself and left the ladies to chat. Stephanie opened up about how the encounter between Alex and her had been a one-time thing and how it had ended before it even began. Paulina sympathized with Stephanie but admitted she’d previously had to step in and “put the kibosh” on workplace relationships.

Later, Paulina greeted Rafe and Jada when they arrived for a business lunch. Paulina immediately took notice of Jada’s engagement ring, and Paulina and Roman gave exuberant congratulations to the engaged couple. When Roman offered Jada and Rafe a free meal, Paulina included herself in the freebie offering. Turning matters to business, Rafe confirmed he’d gotten the all-clear from his doctor to resume his duties as commissioner. Paulina paused and then indicated that she had other plans in mind.

Rafe and Jada both assured Paulina that he was in good health and could meet the demands of the job. Paulina didn’t have any doubt about Rafe’s fitness. Since the department was still short-staffed, she wanted Rafe back as a detective. Furthermore, Paulina wanted Jada to remain commissioner. Rafe wore a strained smile as Jada reminded Paulina that her appointment was only supposed to be temporary.

Paulina argued the merits of keeping Jada in place as commissioner, including her recent record in solving cases and the double-digit decline in crime rates. When Jada said she couldn’t take “Rafe’s job,” Paulina testily responded that the job did not belong to Rafe but to whomever she saw fit to appoint. Since things had been running smoothly in Rafe’s absence, she saw no reason to make a change. After Roman brought their food, Paulina took her plate and proclaimed she would have the meal “to go.”

As she said her goodbyes and walked out the door, Roman looked after Paulina and called her “unpredictable.” Rafe concurred, “Ain’t that the truth.” Later, Jada insisted to Rafe she hadn’t wanted that outcome. Rafe understood but said that it was what Paulina wanted. He offered Jada congratulations and handed the commissioner badge back to her.

At the hospital, Alex and Chanel chatted about Joy. Alex mentioned that Joy seemed uneasy when he mentioned her “stealing” Chanel’s man. Alex theorized that Joy might believe Chanel would confuse “real life with make-believe," as Johnny had done. Chanel scoffed and breezily invited Joy to “steal my man all she wants.”

Alex said he was glad that Chanel had given Johnny another chance and apologized for causing friction between Johnny and her. She laid all the blame on Johnny and his jealousy. Alex admitted he could relate to Johnny’s jealousy because his own jealousy had ruined his relationship with Stephanie. Chanel asked Alex how things with Stephanie were going, and he updated her on the dictate that he and Stephanie remain friends only. After Chanel prodded him, Alex told her about Stephanie’s seeming jealousy at the prospect of him sleeping with a castmate.

Chanel pressed Alex to admit he had real feelings for Stephanie and wanted a deeper relationship with her. Alex began extolling Stephanie’s virtues but claimed he didn’t want to pursue a relationship and risk either of them getting hurt. After Alex finished his speech about “the first woman I gave my heart to,” Chanel grinned at him and joked that he’d just given a “sonnet” for a yes-or-no question. As the two bantered, Stephanie approached and asked what they had been talking about. With a smile, Chanel lied that Alex had been gushing about her acting ability and then excused herself.

Stephanie told Alex she had come to see him because she needed a favor. She mentioned that a photographer had an opening for a photo shoot, and she wanted Alex to come to the production office for the shoot as publicity for the show. Alex wanted to get Chanel and Joy, but Stephanie declared the shoot “boys-only.” She clarified it was for Playgal magazine.

Later, Stephanie returned to the office for the photo shoot. After she spoke with a representative from Playgal over the phone, she spotted Alex in the doorway. He reluctantly strode into the room, shirtless and with a bow and arrow attached to his back. An amused Stephanie took in the sight as Alex explained with embarrassment that the get-up was a nod to his character’s name and his propensity to “make the ladies quiver.” Alex exclaimed that he didn’t want to look “stupid,” but Stephanie rebutted that Alex looked “hot.”

Stephanie moved closer to adjust the strap on Alex’s shoulder, and the two looked on the verge of kissing. A text alerting Stephanie to the photographer’s arrival interrupted the steamy moment. Stephanie thanked Alex for agreeing to the shoot and left to meet the photographer. Before she departed, she took one more appreciative look at Alex and fanned herself.

Joy ran into Johnny on the hospital room set and mentioned that she’d met Alex. She asked him how his directing of the love scene between “Arrow” and “Faith” had gone. Johnny admitted he was more concerned about what he and Joy had done. He wanted to tell Chanel the truth. Joy warned him against it.

Johnny insisted that he needed to clear his conscience because he felt so guilty. Joy angrily contested that Johnny clearing his conscience would affect her, too, as she still had to work with him and Chanel. She didn’t want to jeopardize her new job, and she compelled Johnny to consider how far Chanel could go to make them both pay. Johnny didn’t believe Chanel would hold what happened against Joy, until she reminded him that she’d lied to Chanel about having previously met Johnny. Joy admitted that she liked Chanel as a person and didn’t want to stir up trouble with her.

Joy further argued that Stephanie had almost been fired for sleeping with a co-worker. Joy was certain that once Abe or Kate found out, she wouldn’t be so lucky and would lose her job. She didn’t want to disappoint her mother again since her mom already considered her a screw-up. Johnny said he didn’t want Joy to get fired, and she urged him to think about the possible ramifications for him, too. It could mean the end of his marriage.

As Joy pressured Johnny to keep his mouth shut, a smiling Chanel entered the room. Her smile fell when she noticed the tension between Joy and Johnny. Joy claimed she and Johnny were having a disagreement about the direction of a scene. Speaking in code to Johnny, she asked him if he had come around to her way of thinking. Johnny said he’d agreed with her points and would “defer” to her “for now.”

Satisfied the matter had been settled, Chanel invited Joy to run lines to ease Joy’s first day of filming nervousness. Later, Chanel and Joy sat down to read lines. Chanel asked how Joy was settling in, and Joy admitted her overbearing mother hadn’t made things easy. She apologized for Nancy’s intrusion on Chanel and Johnny’s date night, but Chanel reassured Joy that she liked Nancy. Since she had promised Nancy that she would look after Joy, Chanel invited her co-star to her and Johnny’s place for a getting-to-know-you dinner.

Joy balked at first because she didn’t want to intrude on Chanel and Johnny again. Chanel assured her that Johnny was “in the doghouse” and would acquiesce to whatever she wanted. After more cajoling from Chanel, Joy agreed to come over, to Chanel’s delight.

At the DiMera mansion, EJ was tending to his swollen jaw when Johnny came into the room. EJ blew off Johnny’s inquiry about the injury and turned his attention to Johnny’s recent birthday disaster. Johnny sighed and said he’d screwed up. When EJ attributed his son's "passion" to being a DiMera man and assured Johnny that Chanel would forgive his lapse in judgment. Johnny confessed he’d done something much more “egregious.”

EJ demanded that Johnny tell him what he had done. After swearing EJ to secrecy, Johnny responded, “I thought Chanel was cheating on me, so in return, I cheated on her.”

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